Chicken Cacciatore (Old-World Classic, Bold New Flavor)
Chicken cacciatore is pure Italian comfort in one big, bubbling pot: tender chicken that falls right off the bone into a rich, rustic tomato sauce loaded with sweet peppers and tender, savory mushrooms. One spoonful over a pile of creamy mashed potatoes and you’ll want to cancel your plans and lick the plate.
This is the old-world classic, amped up. Every layer of flavor gets its own moment in the pot, from a deep golden sear to a slow, lazy simmer, so the sauce turns out thick, bold and bursting with flavor.
Oh my gosh, this one takes me right back to my mom’s kitchen.
She made chicken cacciatore all the time when I was growing up, and the smell of those peppers simmering on the stove meant one thing: a really good dinner was on its way.
My mom cooked from scratch a lot, but with five kids running around, she didn’t exactly have time for cooking lessons. This recipe just never got handed down.
I think her plan was for me to learn it by eating it, and trust me, I studied very, very hard.
Now that I’ve spent the last 20-some-odd years learning to cook, I’m bringing back the dishes I grew up on, one by one.
Mom served hers over pasta once in a while, but usually over a big pile of mashed potatoes. And honestly? That woman was onto something!!!
Donna’s Pro Tips for Chicken Cacciatore
- Brown the tomato paste. Before the tomatoes go in, push the vegetables aside and let the tomato paste sizzle on the bottom of the pot for about a minute, until it turns a shade darker. It adds a deep, almost roasted sweetness to the sauce.
- Wake up the oregano. Rub the dried oregano between your palms as you drop it into the pot. It breaks open the leaves and releases more of that warm, herby aroma.
- Make it a day ahead. Like most braises, cacciatore tastes even better the next day, after the flavors settle in overnight. Chill it in the pot, lift off any fat that firms up on top, then reheat gently.
After all my years at the stove, here’s what I know about cacciatore: the sauce is everything, and it’s only as good as the first 20 minutes you spend building it.
Pat the chicken dry before it hits the pot. A wet surface steams, and we want it to sear. Water tops out at 212 degrees F, its boiling point, so once the surface is dry, the heat can climb higher.
Browning, the Maillard reaction, kicks in around 285 to 300 degrees F, and that’s where all the savory, roasty flavor in the bottom of your pot comes from. It’s the same reason my Perfect Pan Seared Chicken Thighs get that crackly, golden skin.
Then pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. That leaves you a rich, silky sauce with just enough of that chicken flavor to carry the vegetables.
And here’s why dark meat loves a long simmer. 165 degrees F is the safe number, but thighs and drumsticks are full of connective tissue that keeps melting as they cook toward 175 to 185 degrees F. So the longer they bubble away in that sauce, the more tender and juicy they get.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh mushrooms: Use fresh white button or baby bella mushrooms, a full 8 ounce package. They soak up all that sauce and turn meaty and tender.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic: This is the shortcut that makes the sauce. The smoky, charred flavor and the garlic are already in the can, so the sauce tastes like it simmered all day.
- Chianti: A dry Italian red adds a deep, fruity richness. No wine? The recipe card has an alcohol-free version with beef stock and a splash of red wine vinegar.
- Chicken stock: Kitchen Basics is my go-to stock in all of my recipes.
- Italian flat-leaf parsley: Always flat-leaf, never curly. It has a brighter, fresher flavor that wakes up the whole pot.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional. Like a little more kick? Go up to 1/2 teaspoon.
Variations
- Make it in the slow cooker. Want to come home to dinner? My slow cooker chicken cacciatore does all the work while you’re out. This recipe has a slow cooker option on the card, too.
- Swap in white wine. A dry white wine like Pinot Grigio makes a lighter, brighter sauce. Use the same amount as the red.
- Add a briny kick. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of drained capers with the olives, or swap the black olives for green ones.
- Go boneless. Boneless, skinless thighs work, too. Sear them, then start checking them at about 20 minutes into the covered simmer, since they cook faster than bone-in pieces.
- Turn up the heat. Add a chopped Calabrian chili or a few more red pepper flakes with the tomatoes for a spicy, arrabbiata-style cacciatore.
Tips for Success
- Prep everything first. Have the vegetables chopped before the chicken goes in, so nothing waits while the pot is hot.
- Use a heavy pot with a lid. A Dutch oven holds steady heat for a good sear and keeps the simmer low and gentle.
- Keep the skin above the sauce. Nestling the chicken skin side up keeps that golden skin out of the liquid, so it stays as browned as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Cacciatore
What is chicken cacciatore?
Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, so this is hunter-style chicken: chicken braised low and slow in a rustic tomato sauce with peppers, onions, mushrooms, herbs and usually a splash of wine.
What’s the secret to a great chicken cacciatore?
Brown the chicken well, pour off the extra fat, and finish the sauce uncovered so it thickens. Those three steps give you a rich, silky sauce every time.
Why is my chicken cacciatore watery?
The sauce needs more time with the lid off. Keep simmering uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
What do you serve with chicken cacciatore?
My mom served it over mashed potatoes, and my Best Ever Mashed Potatoes are perfect for it. It’s also wonderful over pasta, polenta or rice, with a side of Air Fryer Garlic Bread for soaking up every drop of sauce.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks, and 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 3 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh white button or baby bella mushrooms, sliced, (about 3 cups)
- 1 diced medium red bell pepper, (about 1 cup)
- 1 finely diced medium yellow onion, (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced, (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 finely diced rib celery, (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, with their juices , (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 4 ounces chicken stock, about 1/2 cup, I use Kitchen Basics
- 4 ounces dry red wine, such as Chianti (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 ounces pitted black olives, about 1/2 cup
- 1 small bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- SEAR THE CHICKEN: Pat the 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels. Season them all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven (a heavy pot with a lid) over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the chicken skin side down in 2 batches, leaving space between the pieces so they brown instead of steam. Cook about 5 minutes per side, until the skin is golden brown and the pieces lift off the pot easily. Move the browned chicken to a plate.
- SOFTEN THE VEGETABLES: Carefully pour or spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pot, so the sauce stays rich instead of greasy. Turn the heat down to medium. Add 8 ounces fresh white button or baby bella mushrooms, sliced, 1 diced medium red bell pepper, 1 finely diced medium yellow onion, 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced, 1 finely diced rib celery, and 2 cloves garlic to the pot. Stir, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot, because those bits carry a lot of flavor into the sauce. Cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion turns see-through and the carrot is soft when you press it with a spoon.
- BUILD THE SAUCE: Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pot, skin side up. Add the 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, with their juices , 4 ounces chicken stock, 4 ounces dry red wine, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if using), 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, and 2 sprigs fresh thyme. Stir gently so the tomato paste mixes into the sauce around the chicken.
- SIMMER COVERED: Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a low boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Small, lazy bubbles at the edges tell you the heat is right.
- ADD THE OLIVES AND THICKEN: Take off the lid and stir in 2 ounces pitted black olives. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the chicken feels tender when you poke it with a fork. Check the thickest piece with a meat thermometer, keeping the tip away from the bone. It is done at 165°F or higher.
- SEASON AND SERVE: Lift out and throw away the rosemary and thyme stems. Taste the sauce and stir in up to the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, a little at a time, until it tastes bright and full. Serve the chicken pieces whole with the sauce spooned over, or pull the meat off the bones, shred it with 2 forks, and stir it back into the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 small bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley finely chopped. Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice, or with crusty bread.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2026
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
